Omar Abdullah rejects state land regularisation bill, says it protects ‘land mafia’ and not J&K people

GANDERBAL (Jammu and Kashmir): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has defended his government’s decision to reject a Bill that he says is meant to “help the land mafia”.

“How can we pass a Bill that is meant to help the land mafia, to help those who have illegally occupied land, that cannot even address whether they are actually residents of J&K?” he said while speaking to reporters in Ganderbal on Tuesday.

The J-K Chief Minister accused those who brought the Bill of using it to secure political advantage ahead of elections.
“A Bill that has been introduced solely for political gain will harm the people of J&K, and I will not allow my government to harm the people of J&K”, Abdullah asserted.

#WATCH | Ganderbal: On rejecting bill that sought recognition of proprietary rights over illegally constructed houses on government land, J&K CM Omar Abdullah says, “How can we pass a bill that is meant to help the land mafia, to help those who have illegally occupied land, that… pic.twitter.com/SbOAxqy3h7

— ANI (@ANI) October 28, 2025

The Bill, titled ‘The Jammu and Kashmir (Regularization and Recognition of Property Rights of Residents in Public Lands) Bill, 2025, was aimed “for recognising the proprietary rights of houses constructed on state land, Kacharia land, common land and Shamilat land… by securing the rights of ownership or transfer in favour of the residents of such residential house owners… in the interest of right to shelter as guaranteed by Article 21 of the Constitution of India”.

Meanwhile, on Monday, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah hit back at People’s Conference President Sajad Lone for calling the recent Rajya Sabha election a “fixed match” between the National Conference and the BJP. Speaking to the media, CM Abdullah questioned Lone’s credibility, saying someone who initially refused to participate in the polls had no right to comment.

He accused Lone of indirectly aiding the BJP by abstaining from voting and urged him to clarify his political stance, asserting that the people of Handwara didn’t elect him “to stay silent or play a double role.” “Why should someone who wasn’t even willing to participate in the election initially comment on anything? First, he should explain what compelled him to help the BJP. If he wanted to prevent match-fixing, he could at least have come and cast his vote. The people of Handwara didn’t send him here to remain silent and play a double role. At least he should openly say whether he is with the BJP or not. When the election was announced, I said that those who don’t participate or abstain are directly helping the BJP,” the J-K CM said.

Omar Abdullah termed the allegations as “baseless”, emphasising that the only party taking on the BJP in Jammu and Kashmir is the National Conference.

On October 25, JKPC President Sajad Lone posted on X and alleged that the National Conference had a “dialogue” with the BJP in the Rajya Sabha polls. “Dr Farooq sahib has claimed that the BJP offered them a deal for three Rajya Sabha seats. That means a dialogue mechanism exists between the two parties. That means they had a dialogue about the Rajya Sabha. Wonder whether they informed their allies that they were having a dialogue with the BJP. Isn’t that what we have been saying all along? Fixed match,” Lone posted on X.

The ruling Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) won three out of four Rajya Sabha seats from Jammu and Kashmir on Friday. According to the party, senior JKNC leader Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Jammu and Kashmir, winning by 58 votes. Fellow party members, Sajad Kichloo and Shammi Oberoi, were also declared winners.

Meanwhile, BJP Jammu and Kashmir president Sat Paul Sharma won with 32 votes, leaving NC’s Imran Nabi Dar with 22. (ANI)